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Kloss attended the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children where music was core to he school's curriculum, and he quickly proved to be an adept pupil, initially focused on piano. Eric's father, Dr. Allen Kloss was superintendent of the school and a pianist himself. The elder Kloss made a concerted effort to ensure that Eric got to hear, in person, every worthwhile musician that came through the Pittsburgh area. At age ten, Kloss switched from piano to saxophone, studying with Henry Marconi, and quickly distanced his teachers. By the age of twelve, Kloss was being invited on stage with established greats such as Sonny Stitt and Lennie Tristano, and soon became the featured soloist in Bobby Negri's Trio at the Playhouse Stagedoor Club in Pittsburgh. Club dates soon ensued beyond Pittsburgh, in Cincinnati, Atlantic City, and New York which led to Kloss sitting in with his Idols Eric Dolphy, Horace Silver, Art Farmer, and Terry Gibbs.

At the age of 15, Kloss achieved a breakthrough performance at the Civic Arena Jazz Festival, which lead to raves by Jazz publications such as Down Beat and many of the other Jazz musicians who performed the festival. He cut his first Prestige album Introducing Eric Kloss a year later, and by the fall of 1967 he recorded five more.[1]